Superplasticity and microstructural stability in a Mg alloy processed by hot rolling and friction stir processing

The superplastic behavior of a Mg-1.2 Zn-1.7 Y-0.53 Al-0.27 Mn alloy sheet processed by hot rolling and friction stir processing (FSP) was investigated. The kinetics of superplastic deformation were compared with Mg-3 Al-1 Zn and other Mg-Zn-Y alloys processed by different methods. The FSP Mg-1.2 Zn-1.7 Y-0.53 Al-0.27 Mn alloy exhibits slower kinetics of deformation compared with other alloys. The microstructural stability of the FSP Mg-1.2 Zn-1.7 Y-0.53 Al-0.27 Mn alloy is better than the Mg-3 Al-1 Zn alloy because of the presence of different types of precipitates. (C) 2012 Acta Materialia Inc. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.